Regional cooperation is the foundation of Montenegrin foreign policy and the way to improve the political and social reconciliation of the region, said Foreign Minister Đorđe Radulović during his visit to Brussels and Bruges.
"The process of cooperation in Southeast Europe is very important to us. The support of its participants, who are members, is a wind at the back of the aspirant states, while within the framework of regional cooperation, it has proven itself in terms of improving dialogue, encouraging political and social reconciliation in the region," said Radulović at an informal meeting. the head of diplomacy participating in the SEECP in Brussels, where he participated at the invitation of his Greek colleague Nikos Dendias.
Radulović, as announced by the MFA, said at the event, which was an opportunity to present the priorities of the Greek presidency, and to exchange opinions on further steps in the plan of the regional projects that have been started, that cooperation and solidarity proved to be the only way to overcome the consequences of health crisis, and that it was the institutions and members of the EU that sent aid to our country in a timely manner.
The head of Montenegrin diplomacy praised the activities implemented so far and the priorities defined by Greece as chairman, stressing that they are fully compatible with the goals of the Government of Montenegro. In this context, he emphasized that Montenegro welcomes the intention to emphasize the exchange of best practices related to the functioning of democratic institutions and the rule of law, pointing out that Montenegro, as the next chairman (July 2022-July 2023), is part of the Troika of the SEECP format, who is expected to assist the current presidency in coordinating and ensuring the continuity of political and project goals and results.
On that line, as announced, Radulović added that regional cooperation is the foundation of Montenegrin foreign policy and that Montenegro invests continuous efforts in its improvement, both bilaterally and within more than 30 regional organizations and initiatives in which it actively participates.
The stay in Belgium was also an opportunity, as it was announced, for Minister Radulović to participate in the panel "Discussion on the future of Europe - Perspectives and contribution" of the Western Balkans" in Bruges.
The MFA states that the event, organized in one of the most prominent and oldest academic institutions in the field of European studies, represented an opportunity for a broader and inclusive debate on the European integration of the Western Balkans, as well as the future development of the EU, which, as Radulović pointed out, the Western The Balkans is an important part.
In the context of the European agenda, he said that his inclusion in the Conference on the Future of Europe is actually part of the topic of enlargement policy, "just as in a way the New Methodology, by adopting which Montenegro showed that it truly wants reforms". At the same time, the minister emphasized the Government's commitment to the uncompromising fight against corruption and organized crime, and that Montenegro's priority is to obtain the Interim Criteria Compliance Report (IBAR), in order to enter the next phase of negotiations, which is the process of continuing to close the negotiation chapters.
"No man is an isolated island, let alone a country. That is why my country is unequivocally committed to regional cooperation, and it is precisely for this reason that I can say today that I am here not only to represent Montenegro, but also the entire region," said the head of Montenegrin diplomacy in Belgium.
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